Reciprocating mechanism for a coin vending machine



Nov. 27, 1956 J. KRUCKEWITT 2,771,783

RECIPROCATING MECHANISM FOR A com VENDING MACHINE Filed Dec. 21, 1950 y 4 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR.

i y m Nov. 27, 1956 J. KRUCKEWITT 2,771,783

IKECIPROCATING MECHANISM FOR A COIN VENDING MACHINE 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Dec. 21, 1950 INVENTOR.

Nov. 27, 1956 J. KRUCKEWITT RECIPROCATING MECHANISM FOR A CO IN VENDING MACHINE 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Dec.

INVENTOR Nov. 27, 1956 J. KRUCKEWITT Filed Dec. 21, 1950 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 7 IL 'T 4% J5 EzlqJZ 36 2 flay, J5

mmvrox. gQzu W BY MAM United States Patent John Kruckewitt, Pittsburgh, Pa.

Application December 21, 1950, Serial No. 202,047

6 Claims. (Cl. 74-50) This invention relates to new and useful improvements in vending machines and it is among the objects thereof to provide a machine having improved package supporting means including operating bars and cam bars actuated by a master plate that is controlled by a pricing unit, not shown, to dispense individual packages to a receiving hopper.

The present application is a continuation-in-part of my copending application S. N. 647,562, filed February 14, 1946, which is now abandoned.

It is still a further object of the invention to provide an operating mechanism for a vending machine employing a master plate that is motor operated and controlled by a solenoid to be positive in its function for operating the cam bars that support the packages to be vended and return the same to their supporting position after each vending operation.

It is still a further object of the invention to provide a vending machine in which the packages to be vended may be stored in separate compartments, one or more of which is operative to dispense packages until the packages in the dispensing compartment have been exhausted and when empty will initiate the dispensing of packages from the other of said compartments in response to normal operation of the actuating mechanism.

These and other objects of the invention will become more apparent from a consideration of the accompanying drawings, constituting a part hereof, in which like reference characters designate like parts, and in which:

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of a twounit vending machine with the front covering removed to show the front of the reciprocating dispensing mechanism.

Fig. 2 a side elevational view of the vending machine with the housing removed;

Fig. 3 a longitudinal cross-sectional view, partially in elevation, taken along the line 3-3, Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 a top plan view of a sliding cam bar shown in Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 a similar View of an angle bar frame on which the cam bar of Fig. 4 operates;

Fig. 6 a top plan view of a portion of an operating bar actuated by the cam bar of Fig. 4;

Fig. 7 a front elevational view of the vending machine frame and racks for storing packages to be vended;

Fig. 8 a similar view with the angle bars cut away to show the cam and operating bar which in Fig. 8 are shown in a position to support the packages;

Fig. 9 a similar view with the operating bars in open position illustrating the release of a package to be dispensed;

Fig. 10 an elevational view in perspective showing the package supporting mechanism;

Fig. 11 a top plan view of the master plate and relay for the operating mechanism;

Fig. 12 a side elevational view thereof showing the inoperative position of the master plate;

Fig. 13 a similar view showing the operative position of the master plate;

"ice

Fig. 14 a side elevational view of a disc employed in the operating mechanism;

Fig. 15 the master plate;

Fig. 16 an exploded view of a spring plate employed in the master plate drive mechanism;

Fig. 17 a top plan and side elevation, respectively, a crank arm employed in the operating mechanism.

Referring to Fig. 1, numeral 1 generally designates the frame of a vending machine with the front cover removed, that employs angle bars 2 four of which form a rectangular rack for receiving packages to be vended as shown in Fig. 3. There are two such racks shown in Fig. 1. The angle bars 2 are suspended from hangers or rods 3 which are adjustably mounted on the top frame 4 to accommodate them to different size packages, the rods 3 being mounted on angle brackets 5 which are secured by bolts or screws in the slots 6 of the top frame '4. It will be seen from the side elevational view in Fig.

2 that the angle bars 2 are also adjustable in a transverse direction by the angle brackets 5, so that they can be accommodated to square, rectangular or other size of packages.

The packages to be dispensed are illustrated mounted in the angle bars 2 in Figs. 3, 7, 8 and 9, in which the numeral 7 designates the packages. With particular ref erence to Figs. 8 and 9, the bottom package is supported on a pair of operating bars 19 and 9 that are supported on angle bars 21 and 11, respectively, one of which is shown in top plan in Fig. 5, the supporting bars being provided with slots 12 for receiving pins 13 of the operating bar 8 shown in Fig. 6, slots 12 acting as guides to permit the operating bar 8 to slide transversely of the longitudinal axis of the supporting bar.

The numeral 14 designates a slide or cam bar which is mounted on the angle frame 15. The cam bar is provided with longitudinal slots 16 that engage pins 17 of the angle bars 10. The cam bar is also provided with inclined slots 18 and 19 that engage the pins 13 and 13' of the operating bar 8. When assembled in the manner shown in Fig. 3, the cam bars, when subjected to longitudinal movement on the frame support 15, will be guided by pins 17 to move longitudinally while the operating bar 8, by virtue of pins 13 engaging the cam slots 18 and-19 will be subjected to transverse movement. Fig. 8, the operating bars 8 are directly underneath "the packages 7 and support the same in a vertical column, When the cam bars 14 are actuated, the operating bar 8 will be forced outwardly, permitting the package 7 to drop as shown in Fig. 9. A lug 20, Fig. 7, is secured on the cam bar 14 to engage the package 7 that drops when the lowermost package is dispensed, the lug 20 being of a length at least half the dimension of the package to prevent tilting of the package in the vertical racks. When the cam bar 14 is retracted, the lug 20 will clear the package, permitting it to drop on the operating bars 8 and 9 as shown in Fig. 8.

The operation of the cam bars will now be described in connection with the master plate shown in Figs. 11 to 17 inclusive of the drawings. The master plate is connected to the cam bars 14 by an arm 21 and links 22 that are attached to lugs 23 as shown in Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings, and is also shown in Fig. 10 of the drawings. Links 22 are adjustable by a screw 24 to accommodate them to the adjustment of the angle bars 2 when they are set to different size packages. The master plate, designated by the numeral 25, is mounted for sliding movement in a T-slot 26 of a base 27 that is supported on a partition 28 as shown in Fig. 2. It is also provided with a cross-shaped slot 29 for receiving a pin 30 that is carried by acrank 31, Fig. 17.

Crank 31 is provided with a slot 32 that envelops a shaft 33 that is driven by the motor 34 through a gear As shown-in re'ductiomunit'BS, Fig.2. --Shaft 33 also carries a disc 36,-shown in Fig. 14,-having-perforations-37,-there'being three shown in radial alignment. The floating crank 31 is likewise provided with perforations 38 for receiving 'the' -pin -30. 'Ihe pin 30*is forced into -t-he openings-=37 of the disc .96 by means of a spr-ing plate 89 havings'prings 40 mounted thereon as shown 'iii F'ig: 16. Spring plate 39 is attached to crank'31 by -screws,*-not- 'shown, through screw holes 39a of spring fiplate 39,-which are then screwed into theopenings 3-1b-of the floating crank 31, and a flanged disc'41 to bias-the floating crank 31in the directionto force thepin 30-int0 the perforation 37 of 'the disc'36.

The floating crank is spaced from'the'master plate a distanceto avoid engagement of pin-30 with"the'-opening -37"ofdisc 36 bymeans ofwa lever'42 which has a lug 43,.'Fig. 13, that-acts asa we'dge be-tween the floating crank 31 and the master'plate. Lever 42 is provided with a supporting brace-44 which'is mounted in a solenoid- 45that, when energized, raiseslever 42-out of .contact with the floating crank'31. In this'position'springs 40-force floatng crank-31-with its pin 39 in the direction of the disc 36, causing pin 30 to'enter the perforation oropening-37 with which it is in alignment. Since the disc 36 is the driving member,-such engagement of pin 30 with the disc causes the pin and floating crank to revoive which, in turn, by virtue ofengagement of the pin 30 with the cross-shaped slot 29 or the master plate 25, will cause 'the latter to slide back and-forth. By adjusting the location of the pin 30- in the holes 38 of the floating crank 31, pin 30 will engage the corresponding-hole or opening 37 of the drive-disc 36, thereby varying the thrust of the master plate for diiferent sizes of packages. Disposed in the path of movement of the master plate 25 are limit switches 46 and-47, respectively, which energize the proper elements of a' -control circuit, not shown, to coordinate the movements of master plate 25 with the movement of other parts of the vending machine,

When the master plate is subjected-to sliding movement, the cam bars 14 will be moved through the arms 21 and connected linkage 22 shown in Fig. 10. Each movement will cause one of the packages 7 to drop, as shown in Fig. 9, by virtue of the expansion or separation of the operating bars 8 and '9. When a compartment has been emptied of the packages 7, a second or storage coinpartment, located behind the dispensing compartment, may be made to release its packages by means of the mechanism shown in Fig. 2. If, for example, the cornpartment a 'ofPig. 2 has been emptied and the compartment b is the storage compartment in which additional packages have been stored, an arm 48 may be disposed underneath the top package of the compartment a. The arm is mounted in a slot of the angle bar 2 and is provided with a trip 49 that travels in the "path of a pivot bar 50tbat is pivoted at 51 and has a short leg 52 which is underneath the bottom package in compartment b. The arm or lever 50 fits into a notch 53 and when lever 50 is engaged by the trip 49, which occurswhen the last package has been dispensed from compartment a, the weight of the packages on the lug 52 will displace it, permitting lever 50 to raise vertically and causing the packages in compartment b to become supported on the operating bars 8 and 9 to be dispensed in the manner heretofore described.

It will be evident to those skilled in the art that modifications may be made in the details of construction without departing from the principles herein set forth.

I claim:

1. In combination with the reciprocable frame of a vending machine as described, a master plate connected therewith provided with a longitudinal shaft clearance slot and upper-and lower crank pin. slots, 2. driving crank plate having a socket, amovable member having a crank pin operable through .the 'slotted plate to engage the socket of the crank plate, and means for engaging and disengaging the crank plate including a shifta-ble-cam engageable with said movable member to effect withdrawal of the crank pin from said crank plate.

2. In a vending machine having a reciprocal dispensing mechanism, means for imparting reciprocating motion to 7 said dispensing mechanism comprising a master plate provided with a longitudinal clearance slot and inter mediate opposing transverse slots communicating therewith, a drive shaft extending through-'the'longitudinal slot provided with a crank plate having a face socket, a spring pressed plate'looselyengaging the drive shaft having a stud insertible through" the master plate and into the crank plate socket and engageable with the transverse slots, means for withdrawing the spring pressed plate and its stud, and means for engaging and disengaging the plate including a cam engageable with the spring pressed plate.

3. In a vending machine having a reciprocal dispensing mechanism, an actuator therefor comprising' incoriibination witha master plate having'a longitudinalclearance slotthrough its body portion communicating win-up er and lower crank engaging slots, a driveshaft extendiri g through the cleaarnce slot providedwitMa crank plat'e having a face socket at one side of the-master plate-a spring pressed plate loosely engaging the shaft at' 'th'e opposite side provided with a-cra'nk'pl'ate 'engaging' stud, a movable locking armhav-ing a cam terminal engage-able with the spring pressed plate-to effect discoiiiie'ctionof said stud from the crank plate.

4. A vending machine having a reciproear'dis easis mechanism,-an actuator therefor comprising-in combination with a master plate, means forrnoving ithe'ma ster plate including a rotatable crank plate and an arm having a stud engageable'with 'the crank'plate, -a tiltin'g'f-i-irin having an outwardly urging cam for the' '.crank*plate, and a solenoid, the armature of'wh'ich' is'pivotally connected with the tiltingarin.

5. In a vending machine having a recipnscardispensia mechanism, ineans for imparting reciprocatingmotionto a connected member comprising-a master-plate-"provided with a longitudinal clearance slot and intermediate transverse slots communicating therewith, a drive shaft extending through the longitudinal slot' pr ovided witha crank plate having a face socket, a sp'rin'g pressed plate loosely engaging the drive shaft ha'ving'a stud in's'er-tible through the master plate and into the crank plate-socket and engageable with the transverse" slot, and-atilting arfn forthe master plate having a cam-actiomonthe spring pressed plate to effect withdrawal of the stud.

6. In combination with the reciprocal'frameof a'vending machine as described, a master plate conn'ecte'd therewith provided with a longitudinal shaft clearanceslot and upper and lower crank pinslots, a driving crank having a plurality of radially spaced sockets iand havinga crank pin for mounting in one of said sockets, a movable member having a plurality of crank pin sockets for ic ceiving the crank'pin th rough the slotted 'i'nas'ter'plate to be driven by the crank, said movablemember liavin'g radially spaced slots in register 'with the spaced sockets of the crank for receiving the crank pin, andmeans for engaging and disengaging the crank' 'c'onsisting ofa shifting .cam engageable with said movable 'rner'n'ber to 'efiect withdrawal of the orankpin,

References Cited in the tile of'thi's patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 489,849 Crain Jan. 10,1893 559,876 Tratton May -12, 1896 723,119 Von Zweigbergk Mar. 17, 1903 1,038,044 Wessel Sept. 10, 1912 1,119,792 Biesmeyer Dec. 8, 1914 1,324,371 Banzhof Dec 9, 1919 1,635,451 Zsoldos July 12, '1927 Other references'onfollowin'g page) 1 5 UNITED STATES PATENTS Donnellan Apr. 7, 1931 Myer Nov. 10, 1931 Vissat Oct. 9, 1934 Miller Sept. 22, 1936 5 Calvert May 18, 1943 Weiler Aug. 1, 1944 6 Melz/er Dec. 25, 1945 Worth June 20, 1950 Kelly Sept. 5, 1950 FOREIGN PATENTS Great Britain Aug. 13, 1931 Great Britain Dec. 11, 1933 

